Page 22 of articles about management in Articles

With the current part you can assess your knowledge on pig welfare during the fattening phase: How much space do they need?, What is the maximum level of noise?, etc.

In this chapter we will look at how hormones can be used to influence the time of farrowing according to our needs.

Since concentrated feeds were first used it has been possible to see that mixing them with water has certain advantages. Probably the most important are a higher consumption and an improved exploitation.

The gestation unit is basically a parking unit where sows should be kept comfortable to allow the pregnancy to develop

Regardless of the causes we often waste food and the animals do not consume everything that arrives to the farm.

Space/comfort, after feeding and nourishment, is without doubt a limiting factor for the establishment of a quick, and above all, solid hierarchy.

The mating and control unit is one of the most important elements of a sow unit. Thus, it must facilitate a high pregnancy rate, high number of piglets, uniform body condition, sow longevity and a low return rate.

When the sow is pregnant, the corpus luteum remains and continues to produce progesterone. While the levels of progesterone are high the sow does not become in heat and maintains gestation.

Abortions are not always witnessed in yards or extensive systems. Evidence is provided by sudden weight loss and a vulval discharge.

So far we have seen different options for retaining the males and for stimulating the stalled sows that maximize speed and stimulus. Once stimulated, now we are going to mate them.

Trials have shown that a group size of 15-25 pigs per pen is ideal and it also coincides with the capacity of most feeders on the market.

Without a doubt weaning is the most stressful process suffered by a pig, or at least it is up until that moment in its life.

For hormones to be efficient it is essential to use them with the right approach. For this we must know the reproductive cycle of the sow and the hormones that are involved.

Different systems of boar’s retention during stimulation and mating in stalls have already been seen. Now we are going to put it into practice.

Colostrum offers 3 essential properties to the piglet: very useful energy source (vital for generating movement and avoiding temperature loss), immune supply (protects against germs that the piglet begins to come into contact with) and natural growth factors (complete the maturity of the piglet).

For the animals to be comfortable it is important to know their needs. The more needs that we can fulfill the more productive the animal will be.